1% Sales Tax
Proposed
Project List
Released
web posted
February 21,
2014EDGEFIELD
– The Edgefield
County 1% Sales
Tax Committee
has released a
proposed list of
projects for an
estimated $6.79
million that
will be
collected over 8
years if the tax
is approved by
voters this
fall. The list
has not been
approved by the
committee, only
compiled to get
feedback from
the County
Council. In a
not so
surprising
review of the
projects, the
Town of
Edgefield comes
out on top.

The complete
list of the
projects, which
can be found at
the bottom of
this page,
breaks down as
follows:

Funds for
projects in or
for the Town of
Edgefield total
$3.44 million,
basically half
of the funds
that would be
collected. This
total could
change to $3.04
million as
explained below.
If the fire
stations
($400,000 total
for the
Edgefield Fire
Department) is
removed and
counted as
county projects
the total amount
drops to $2.64
million, or 40%
of total
revenues.

$1.4 million
would be
designated for
"Downtown
Revitalization"
- a very broad
term for a
purpose specific
tax.
$610,000 to make
upgrades to the
soccer field,
baseball fields,
town gym,
children's park
and expansion of
the Rail Trail.
$800,000
(estimated)
would go to new
equipment and
upgrades at the
Edgefield County
Hospital. (This
could change to
$400,000 as
noted above.)
$200,000 would
be used for a
Veterans Park.
$400,000 would
go to build two
fire stations,
one at
Republican Road
and the other at
Miller's
Crossroads.
$30,000 would be
used for
upgrades of the
Edgefield Police
Department.

Johnston would
be the next big
winner with a
total of $1.8
million in
projects.

$750,000 would
be used to
remodel the
Armory.
$600,000
to remodel the
Johnston Town
Hall and fire
station.
$400,000 for
fire
substations, one
between Trenton
and Johnston and
the other on
Long Cane Road.
$50,000 would be
used to extend
the current
sidewalk on Lee
Street to the
IGA store.
If the fire
stations are
considered as
"county"
projects, their
total would
still be $1.4
million.

Next in the list
of projects is
Bettis Academy
with a single
project to build
a "Community
building" at
Bettis Park.
Cost: $700,000

The amount to be
used in the
Merriwether area
is $650,000, but
depending on
estimates, could
increase to
$1.15 million as
explained below.

$500,000
(estimated) to
build a medical
facility in the
Merriwether
area.*
$150,000 would
go to the
Sweetwater
Community
Center.
*This cost could
be placed at
$900,000, which
would increase
project costs to
the $1.15
million level.
This cost seems
inflated.
According to Ken
Durham (formerly
of Edgefield
Construction),
the cost of
construction of
the new Fox
Creek High
School was
between $2.5 and
$3 million. How
a Doctor's
Office could
cost 1/3 of an
entire high
school seems
unreasonable.

As for the
Westside and
Northside, there
is roughly
$200,000 towards
a fire
substation on
Walker Road.

This is a
preliminary list
and is not final
and firm numbers
on some projects
are not
available at
this time.

Below is the
list released by
the Edgefield
County
Administration
Office: